Oklahoma City is full of game-changers, especially in recent years. There are a lot of lessons we can learn from the game-changers in our own city. Of course, Oklahoma is filled with influential and innovative people, but I want to focus on the physical city itself.

Part of thinking up creative solutions to sales problems, or finding unexpected ways to improve your sales, relies on thinking about the world in a different way. What can we learn from this city?

The buildings in Oklahoma City are a striking mix of new and old. Some have been torn down. Some have been repurposed. Some of the buildings are new construction, but they’re also new in concept. We’re doing things in Oklahoma City that seemed unlikely as recently as twenty years ago.

Just focusing on the downtown Oklahoma City area, there are five buildings and areas that strike me as inspiration for thinking about change and improvement, especially as it pertains to sales.

Bricktown: 25 years ago, three guys had a vision to revitalize this area of downtown. This area was deserted, but now it’s a hot spot for dining and entertainment.

Oklahoma River: What used to be the old North Canadian River, a muddy puddle, is now a thriving river district. Everything from Olympic training to zip-lining happens here.

Chesapeake Arena: The Thunder basketball team has made Oklahoma City known all over the world for excellent players who care about the city they live in.

The Oklahoma Publishing Company’s new downtown office: In an industry in transition, OPUBCO is adapting well, making a smart relocation and focusing more on digital content.

Devon Energy project: The Devon building was the largest construction project in America for a time while it was being built, and it’s an important part of the Oklahoma City transformation.

All of that is great, but how can you learn from it? Here are a couple of takeaways.

Don’t be afraid to take an eyesore and turn it into something amazing.

Bricktown was deserted, and the old North Canadian River wasn’t very appealing, but now both places are hubs for entertainment and are adding to the economy of the city.

Think about an outdated, ‘ugly’ part of your sales offerings. How you can transform it into something more appealing?

Collaborate to make a difference

So many people invested their time and resources into Oklahoma City in order to make it the big-league city that it is today. When you’re making a big change, don’t try to go it alone.

Anticipate and adapt to significant trends

The newspaper industry certainly isn’t the only one who has experienced significant change. OPUBCO didn’t need a huge building anymore so they sold it, moved downtown, and are figuring out ways to be profitable in the digital age.

The next time you need to solve a problem or want to improve your work or your sales, try finding inspiration in unlikely places. You’ll be surprised at what you can learn.